Corpse Nurse
by PurebloodPrincessYuuki
Summary: After Derek messes up during his practice wedding ceremony he decides to take a detour and practice in the woods. Little did he know that that would be a grave mistake. Fic based on Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride".


**Two fanfics in one night! Woo!**

**This was my contest entry for the TraumaCenterFans's movie crossover on deviantART. It's a crossover between Trauma Center and Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride", which both rock!**

**Corpse Bride (c) Tim Burton**

**Trauma Center (c) Atlus**

**Alexandra Stiles, Anna Thompson, Rebecca Kasal (c) PurebloodPrincessYuuki**

**Now onward to the story!**

* * *

><p>It was a lovely day in Angeles Bay. The sun was shining, streets were buzzing with people, and it a very special day to young Derek Stiles. Today was the preparation for day he was waiting for all of his life: to marry the woman of his dreams. As Derek was getting ready to go see his future bride, he felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. Would everything go smoothly? Would she accept the marriage? His thoughts were interrupted as she heard his mother's, Alexandra Stiles, voice ring through the Stiles house.<p>

"Derek Stiles, hurry up! You're going to be late to meet with Angie's family!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Derek yelled back as he left his room and ran down the stairs. His mother was staying with him for the time being before the actual day of the wedding, so it was like being a little kid with his mom telling him what to do.

"Honestly, Derek, you need to be ready. You can't always do this, especially now at a time like this," Alexandra said. "You're getting married to Angie and I don't think she'll put up with it. It's time to straighten up."

Derek sighed. "I know, I know. I'm just so nervous about this."

"Don't be, everything will be fine, I'll help make sure of that."

"Alright, let's go already." As Derek and his mother got into the car and drove over to Angie Thompson's, his bride-to-be, apartment.

Meanwhile, in Angie's apartment her father, Kenneth Blackwell and her mother, Anna Thompson were waiting in the small living room. "Today's the day we all meet," Kenneth said

"Yes, I do hope everything goes as planned. The meeting and rehearsal must run smoothly," Anna replied. "Still, I'm just glad our daughter was able to find someone nice at least, and a doctor no less."

"He's skilled in the operating room, let's see if he's that good in marital life," Kenneth said.

"Angie must be so nervous, I wonder what's going through her mind?" Anna pondered. As though Anna already knew, in Angie's room, Angie was a nervous wreck.

"Angie, you need to relax," Leslie Sears, Angie's friend and fellow Caduceus USA nurse, said as she watched Angie pace around the small room.

"How can I Leslie? My and Derek's parents are meeting today. What if they don't like each other? What if Derek's mother doesn't like me or mine don't like him? What if causes the wedding gets called off?" Angie questioned.

"Chill Ang! Both you and Derek are awesome people and everything will be fine," Leslie said.

"I really hope so, thanks Leslie," Angie said as she heard a faint knock on the door. "They're here!"

"Oh my gosh!" Leslie squealed. "Good luck, Angie! I'll be in here I you need me."

"Nice to meet you at last, I'm Alexandra Stiles, Derek's mother," Alexandra said as Angie was about to make her way into the living room.

"Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Stiles. I am Kenneth Blackwell, Angie's father and this is her mother, Anna Thompson," Kenneth introduced.

"Shall we continue to know each other in the kitchen with coffee and discuss today's events?" Anna asked.

"Sure, lead the way," Alexandra replied as all three parents departed from the room, leaving Derek as its only occupant.

"Now what?" Derek questioned to himself. He was still anxious and needed something to distract him in the meantime, and luckily he found it in the form of a shiny coal black upright piano centered by the living room wall. He only knew how to play a song or two, but it was good enough at the moment. As he sat down and began to play, he felt himself begin to relax little by little, letting himself get lost in the melody. Angie was watching Derek play from behind the wall and felt all tension wash away. With newfound calmness she proceeded to get closer to Derek, which might have been a mistake because by the time she was one foot away from Derek, he looked up and jumped from the piano stool. "A-Angie! Um, I'm sorry, I was just-"

"It's okay, Derek, calm down," Angie said with a soft smile. "I couldn't help but listen. You never told me that you could play the piano."

"I don't know a lot, just enough to pass the time," Derek said.

"Oh, I see," Angie murmured softly. There was a small moment of silence between them until Derek cleared his throat and said, "So, um, looks like tomorrow we're getting married tomorrow."

"Y-yeah, it's going to be a big day," Angie said. "I'm sorry, I've just been so stressed about today, but now that you're here, I feel calm again."

Derek turned a light shade of red by Angie's words. He remembered that both would be feeling the same way today, and now that he saw her, the storm inside him cleared. "Angie," he began to say softly until Anna interrupted.

"Come on, you two! We got to get going to your wedding rehearsal," Anna said.

"We're going, mother! Let me just go get Leslie," Angie said as she turned to her husband-to-be. "Ready Derek?"

"Ready Ang." Unfortunately Derek wasn't ready at all.

Three hours went by during rehearsal at the church and so far there was no progress at all due to Derek fumbles. "Mr. Stiles, we've gone over this for too long for you to still mess up. Now do them again," said the church priest.

"Ok, sorry," Derek murmured embarrassed. "With this hand I will lift your sorrow. Your candle-I mean ring-no cup-"

"Nevermind Mr. Stiles! Let's just get to the ring part," the priest sighed. The priest and everyone in the church looked frustrated, bored, and inpatient while waiting for the rehearsal to end.

"You think it was simple. Poor Derek seems to be struggling," Anna whispers.

"He'll do fine, he's just a little nervous," Alexandra whispered as the church door opened. All of them stopped what they were doing and turned around to see what it was. In strolled a young man with curly sandy hair, green eyes, and an aura that would intimidate anyone. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I was just passing by and I heard all the commotion," he said.

"Pardon me, but who are you" Anna asked.

"Oh, where are my manners. My name is Dr. Leonardo Bello," Leonardo said.

"Bello, as in the surgeon, Bello, in the hit show, "Miracle Surgery"?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Oh, well feel free to sit and watch," Anna said enthusiastically.

"With pleasure," Leonardo said as he sat in one of the church pews.

"Fangirl much?" Leslie muttered as she turned around to watch the still clumsy Derek, finally passing the lighting of the candle part.

"Mr. Stiles, did you at least bring the ring to practice with?" the priest asked in a dull voice.

"Um, wait, yes!" Derek exclaimed as he took out a small gold ring from his pocket.

"Finally. Now repeat after me: "With this ring, I ask you to be mine"."

"Ok. With this ring I ask-oops!" Derek exclaimed as the ring slipped from his hand and rolled under Anna's long skirt. Derek chased after it, but soon realized the error of his actions when he heard a shriek from Angie's mother.

"Derek! Get your hand-my skirt-my skirt!" Anna exclaimed as the lit candle Derek dropped while getting the ring lit a small fire on her skirt. "Water! Water!" In an instant Leonardo appeared and extinguished the small fire with the wine from the goblet at the altar. "Now really, there's no need to fuss. Everything's fine now," he said calmly.

Everyone just gawked at Leonardo for a mili-split second before glaring at Derek. "Mr. Stiles, unless you get your vow right, this marriage will be a disaster," the priest said in a semi-furious tone. Derek could feel the tension directed toward him and slowly backed away until he turned around and ran out of the church until he arrive to the stone bridge of old Angeles Bay cemetery.

Time passed as Derek wandered around the old cemetery, sighing what must've been his millionth sigh. "I can't believe I screwed up so much. Why couldn't I get down those simple vows?" He took a deep breath and tried to imagine that he was back in the church again to find a focus.

"Ok. With his hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty," Derek recited as he ventured more and more into the old cemetery. "With this candle, I will light your way into the darkness." He took one more breath and saw a branch that resembled a hand and tried to imagine as though it was Angie's. "With this ring, I ask you to be mine," he finished as he slipped the ring in his hand onto the branch. He smiled contently by the fact that he actually got his vows down until he felt a small rumble under his feet and the hand-like branch all of a sudden snatched his wrist.

"What the-?" Derek shouted as he struggled to free his hand until he pried away with the hand-like branch still grasping his wrist. He quickly shook it off as he looked in shock at what was happening in front of him. Out of the ground where the branch originated and human-like form was emerging from the ground. Clad in what appeared to be a ripped up blue uniform with its hair and body covered in dirt, it stood up and front of Derek and said in a feminine voice, "I accept."

Derek let out a scream as he scrambled to get up and run away from the figure. "This isn't happening, this isn't happening!" He kept running until he made it back to the bridge and scanned around to see if it followed him. "Phew, thank God," he sighed of relief until he turned around and came face-to-face with the figure's bluish face. Trapping him gently in his place, the figure said to a terrified Derek, "We are now together," and everything eventually went black.

'It's dark. Where am I?' Those were the first thoughts that came to Derek's mind. Darkness surrounded him as he heard low murmurs.

"Do you think he's awake?"

"I don't know, poke him with a stick."

"Shh! Quiet, I think he's starting to wake up."

As if the person predicted it, Derek's eyes began to flutter open. He saw faces looking at him, but couldn't make them out due to his lack of glasses. "Where am I? And where are my glasses?" he asked groggily as he sat up and held his head.

"Here they are," said a feminine voice. As Derek felt the person put his glasses on his face, he could finally see who they were. It was the pale blue figure that chased him down in the cemetery, but now he could see it in better detail. Short blue hair in a bob, ice blue decaying skin, and in vary familiar blue nurse's uniform he could've sworn he's seen before.

"He's awake! Look like a newcomer!" someone shouted as the area Derek and the female figure became lively with others that looked identical to the female.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you! I'm Rosalia Rossellini!" one young blue girl chirped as she shook his hand with enthusiasm.

"It's great to see a newcomer here! Oh, and my name's Abigail Parker!" another blue female giggled.

"Ladies, give him some room, he just got here," one blue man with an exposed skeleton leg. "Welcome my boy, I am Albert Sartre."

"Welcome where? Where am I?" Derek asked.

"You're in the land of the dead," said a voice beside him. When he turned and got a good look at the female, his brown eyes widened. "Heather? Is that you?"

The female smiled as she nodded. "Dr. Stiles, it's so good to see you!" she said as she hugged him.

"Heather, wh-what happened to you?" Derek stuttered.

"Well as you can see, I'm dead," Heather replied.

"How though?"

"I believe I can answer that," responded a voice in front of them. Derek looked up and recognized the blue skinned Patrick Mercer almost instantly. "My young daughter, Heather Ross, when she was alive, fell for a surgeon while at a medical conference. The surgeon took a liking to he too and took her on as his surgical assistant. One day, she fell ill with PGS and could no longer help the surgeon."

"On her hospital bed she pleaded him to save her life so that she could continue to be by his side, but only if she promised to run away with him with all the money she had when she was better," Rosalia continued in her soft soprano voice. "Blinded by love, she agreed and took her in for an emergency operate. Little did she know she would never wake up alive."

"When she reawoke she found herself tossed away in a cemetery with nothing but her uniform. Heartbroken and betrayed, she made a promise to herself that at the cemetery that one day her one true doctor would find her and looks like it was you," Abigail concluded.

"Me?" Derek asked dumbfounded.

"Yes," Heather replied, "You said your vows so perfectly and placed a ring on my finger," she added, showing him her bony hand with said ring on her ring finger.

"This isn't real, I got to get home," Derek said as he ran out of the small room.

"Dr. Stiles, wait!" Heather called out as she went after him.

Meanwhile, in Angie's apartment, Alexandra, Anna, Kenneth, Leslie, and Angie were all in the living room with worry thick in the air.

"Where could he have run off to?" Kenneth asked.

"Do you think he's okay?" Alexandra asked.

"Should we call the police?" Angie asked as the door knocked.

"I'll get it," Leslie said as she got up and opened the door to reveal Leonardo on the other side. "You? What are you-hey!" she exclaimed as he barged inside. "Rude."

"Dr. Bello? What brings you to visit us?" Anna asked surprised.

"I come to share some new, unfortunately it's not very pleasant," Leonardo said.

"What is it?" Kenneth asked.

"I found out where Derek's whereabouts were, I was just surprised it was with a mysterious woman," Leonardo said.

"What?" Angie gasped. "No, it can't be right."

"I'm afraid it's true. Some people saw Derek at the old Angeles Bay cemetery bridge in the embrace of an unknown woman."

Angie felt her heart sink as her jade green eyes looked down at her coffee mug in her hands. He couldn't have left her for another woman, could he? "I'm going to my room," she said softly as she got quickly and left.

"Angie," Kenneth called out, but Angie already left. "I never would have believed that Derek was capable of cheating on my daughter. Maybe the wedding should be canceled."

"Oh, no, no, no, please don't," Alexandra stammered out, "there's no need for that. It probably was just a mistake. Derek's probably lost so let me go look for him, please? For Derek's sake."

Kenneth sighed. "Very well, but if Derek is not found until morning then I'm afraid that the wedding's off."

"Thank you for the opportunity," Alexandra replied in relief as she got up and left, giving a quick glare at Leonardo as she exited out the door.

During all the commotion on earth, Derek was still running around in the land of the dead, desperately trying to find a way out. He felt out of breath, tired, and frustrated, but kept running away, especially when he heard Heather's voice calling out his name from far behind him. Derek ran into other blue corpses, some with familiar faces, some that were unknown, and some that looked so terrifying that it made him wonder for a split second about how they died. "Where to go, where to go?"

"Are you lost? Perhaps I can help" said a small voice Derek turned as saw, unbelievable to his brown eyes, a red savato, the deadliest GUILT, on his shoulder. He let out tiny scream as he swatted it off and ran like nuts. "Ouch! How rude," scoffed the red savato.

"Dr. Stiles!" Heather called out as she was unawarely catching up to where was. "Where could he be?" she pondered.

"Check the point straight ahead," said a voice from inside Heather. She looked down at her exposed rib cage as a queen kyriaki, known as the invisible blades GUILT, came out of her and climbed up onto her shoulder. "Trust me, I can hear his shrieking coming from that direction."

"Ok, thanks," Heather said as she ran ahead.

Derek was still running until he made it to a dead end. "Now what?" he sighed. He looked up at the wall ending his escape and noticed that he could climb it since it was covered in vines. Taking a chance he set his foot on the first vine and began to climb. Just as he was reaching the top and thinking we was free, he saw Heather right above him. "Dr. Stiles, there are stairs, you know," she said as she grabbed his wrist and lifted him up onto the hill point with no effort at all.

"Thanks," Derek muttered nervously as Heather went to take a seat on a bench and beckoned him to her.

"I have something for you, it's a wedding present," Heather said as she picked up a small box from beside her and handed it to Derek as he sat down next to her. Derek was uneasy about what was in the box and shook it. At first all he heard was rattling, but then he felt movement inside and dropped the box in surprise. The lid opened and it revealed a pile of bones until it assembled on its own to form a small animal skeleton.

Derek looked at the dead animal wide-eyed as it approached him carrying a collar in its mouth. When Derek took the collar from its mouth he broke out in a small smile and said, "I can't believe it…Tama!" The cat skeleton meowed happily as it jumped up on Derek's lap and nuzzled him.

"I knew you'd like it," Heather laughed as she petted Tama's head. "He's so cute!"

"If you think he's cute now, you should have seen him when he had fur," Derek said. He became quiet for a while as he petted Tama's head before telling Heather, "Heather, I have to go home."

"Hm? This is your home now," Heather replied. "We're married now."

"Um, and that's exactly why," Derek responded. "You're my bride so I have to introduce you to my mother."

"Oh, well why didn't you say that? Where is she buried?"

"Um, she's not.."

"Ohh, she's up there, in the land of the living," Heather realized. "Well there is one way to go up there."

"Really, how?" Derek asked curiously.

"We need to go to Mr. Anderson's place and there he will have the way. Come on," Heather said as she gently grabbed Derek's hand and pulled him with her. They walked for a while until they got to what looked like an old abandoned library tower. "Here we are, let's go inside." As they arrived to the top she called out, "Mr. Anderson, are you here?"

"Yes, I am. Does someone need me?" Derek tilted his head a little and saw, to his surprise, a blue semi-decayed Richard Anderson. "Secretary Anderson?" Derek exclaimed surprised.

Richard smiled softly as he looked at Derek. "It's been a while, Dr. Stiles. I see you finally settled down with Miss Ross. I must say, you chose a fine young woman."

Heather smiled bashfully. "OK, ok, Mr. Anderson. We came here to ask you to help us get to the land of the living."

"Why would you want to go up there?"

"Dr. Stiles wants to introduce me to his mother."

"Ah, I see. Very well." Richard went up to what appeared to be a desk at the highest point of the room and reached for a raven that was perched at the corner. He squeezed the raven as it squawked and laid an egg and reached for it. "This will help you get to where you want to go. Whenever you wish to return just say hopscotch." With that final word he cracked the egg as thick yellow fog engulfed Derek and Heather completely. When they could both finally see again, Derek saw that they were back at the stone bridge where he last was.

"Wow, we're actually here," Heather said as she walked around. "It's been years since I've seen Angeles Bay."

"Yeah, must bring back memories," Derek mumbled. "Um, Heather, can you stay here? I mean, until I find my mother and bring her here."

"Sure," Heather said as she went to go sit on a tree log.

"Ok, I'll be back," Derek reassured as he turned and walked away. When he was a good distance away he took off running not to his own home, but to Angie's apartment. After much running, he finally made it, but just as he was about to knock, he heard voices inside.

"Do you think Ms. Stiles will find Derek?"

"I'm not sure, but if it was true what Dr. Bello had said, he might want to be careful when I see him again."

Derek swallowed hard quietly. He messed up big time with Angie's parents, but he wanted to see if maybe there was hope with Angie. As things seem to quiet down in the apartment, Derek quietly unlocked the door with the key he had and snuck inside.

Meanwhile with Heather, she was growing restless waiting for so long. "He's taking forever, isn't he?" said the queen kyriaki inside of her.

"He's probably found his mother and on his way," Heather replied.

"Are you sure he didn't just run off and leave you? Why don't you go find him and check?"

"Fine, I will," Heather retorted as she got up and left to search.

While Heather made her way to Derek, Derek was inside heading towards Angie's room. Inside, Angie was sulking like a child. Just as she felt like nothing could cheer her up , her door opened and Derek whispered out, "Angie?" Angie jumped and shut her mouth before she could scream as she saw Derek enter her room. "D-derek?" she stuttered out as Derek smiled. "Yeah, it's me." Angie couldn't help, but jump from her bed and tackled Derek with a hug. "I've been so worried about you. Where have you been?" she asked softly.

That's what I came here to tell you as well. I've been-," Derek said as he was cut off by seeing Heather standing in Angie's mini apartment balcony.

"Derek? What is it?" Angie asked concerned.

"It-it's nothing," Derek stammered in a panic as Heather slid the balcony door open with a breeze and marched gracefully inside. "Dr. Stiles, what, if I may ask, are you doing here?" Heather asked in a calm yet stiff voice. "Well, um, uh," Derek hesitated.

Angie looked at Heather as though she didn't know her and gradually her expression changed from clueless to shocked. "Miss Ross, is that you? What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I'm his corpse bride," Heather replied as she extended out her hand with the gold ring. In less than a second she grabbed Derek and whispered, "Hopscotch!" as they both began to become pulled away from the room, Derek shouting Angie's name before arriving back inside Richard Anderson's place in the land of the dead.

"You lied to me!" Heather fumed as she stepped away from Derek with her back turned. "You weren't looking for your mother, you went and try to cheat on me with Nurse Thompson. Is she your other woman?"

"Heather, Angie's my fiancée, you're the other woman," Derek sighed.

"Why? You proposed and are married to me," Heather whimpered softly.

"Heather, this whole thing was a mistake. I can't be married to someone who's dead," Derek said as Heather looked at him with her eyes wide, yet hurt. She didn't even say a word as she turned around and ran out. Once Heather made it to the bottom, she went and sat in a vacant casket with tears silently falling down her eyes.

"Aww, what's wrong?" asked the red savato as it climbed onto the edge of the casket. "Men problems," the queen kyriaki replied as it came out of Heather and rested on the casket. "Who am I kidding? Of course he'd want Nurse Thompson. The perfect nurse with her rosy cheeks and beating heart," Heather murmured.

"Who cares about that? You have something better: personality! What does she have that you don't have double?" the red savato asked.

"How about a pulse?" Heather replied.

"Overrated!" the queen kyriaki exclaimed. "Can she play the piano like you?"

"And she's also not wearing the ring," the red savato said.

"She's nothing compared to you," the GUILTs said in unison.

"She can breathe, she can feel," Heather replied.

"Who cares? Being alive like her is temporary! You are a beauty forever!" the GUILTs said.

"Still, as long as she has things I do not, then I am no match," Heather sighs as she gets up and wanders off.

While Heather sulked in the land of the dead, Angie was busy trying to convince her parents. "I swear father, Derek was married against this will to the dead Heather Ross."

Anna sighed as she looked at her daughter. "Angie, that's impossible, it must've been a delusion. Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine! And I'm being serious!" Angie shouted.

"That's enough, Angie. Go to your room, you need to rest," Kenneth said.

"But father-"

"But nothing. Stay in there and don't leave until you've calmed down." Angie scowled for a bit, but when her parents weren't looking, she quickly slipped out of the apartment with ease since the door was left open. She snuck out and travel all the way to the church where the wedding rehearsal took place earlier and banged on the door. When the priest opened it Angie bursted out, "Sir, is it possible for the living to marry the dead?"

The priest looked at Angie with a mix of horror and outrage. "Miss Thompson, what unholiness is your mouth spewing out?"

"Derek has been married off to a corpse!" Angie exclaimed. "No one believes me! Please, you have to help me!"

The priest was silent for a moment before saying, "There is one thing I can to." Angie smiled hopefully at him, but what she didn't expect was the priest dragging her back home to her apartment and her awaiting parents and a worried Leslie. "Your daughter is insane, she speaks of her fiancée married to a dead woman!"

"Thank you for bringing her back, sir," Anna said as she took a struggling Angie in her arms and closed the door. "Leslie, please take Angie to her room and make sure that she doesn't leave again."

"Yes, Ms. Thompson. Sorry Angie," Leslie whispered out as she led Angie back to her room.

"What are we going to do?" Anna asked Kenneth.

"I'm not sure anymore," Kenneth replied.

"Poor Angie…," said a voice as both parents looked up and saw Leonardo standing at the doorway. "If she was my bride as well as my wonderful nurse, she wouldn't have to deal with all the drama like she is now. She'd be happy and live life in luxury."

"Sounds like you're bride is a lucky woman," Anna said, not even caring that Leonardo was intruding.

"I was engaged to one of my former nurses, but unfortunately, she didn't survive an operation procedure," Leonardo said. "Your Angie reminds me so much of her." Anna and Kenneth looked at each other for a moment before making a silent agreement. "Dr. Bello, we have a huge request to ask you…" Anna began to say.

Meanwhile, Angie was lying in her bed with the look of frustration as Leslie kept watch. Why couldn't anyone believe her? All she wanted was a way to get Derek back, to be back in his embrace, to hear him say how much he loved her. Just as she felt like bursting into tears, her door opened and her parents walked in with smiles on their faces. "Angie we have good news."

"What is it? Did you find Derek?" Angie asked as she sat up quickly.

"No, but something better. You will get married tomorrow, but to Dr. Leonardo Bello instead," Anna said as she saw Angie's crestfallen face. "Now don't be sad, Angie, it's for the better. You'll live happily with him. Now rest because you have a big day tomorrow." After her parents left, she quickly turned to Leslie and began to cry on her shoulder in devastation.

As Angie's parent were preparing for a wedding, Derek's mother was driving around in search of Derek. "Where could he be?" she asked to herself, not paying any attention to the road. Little did she know that she crossed a red light and ran over someone. "Whoa! That was a huge speed bump. Oh well," she sighed as she continued to drive.

Meanwhile, on the land of the dead, Heather was in the old room where she first arrived with Derek and played the piano softly without caring. Derek heard the melody and carefully walked towards her and sat down beside her, but Heather just ignored him. "Heather, I want to say that I'm sorry. I was just so frustrated after all I've been through today," Derek apologized softly. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Heather kept playing a melancholy melody on the piano softly in a soprano tone while she still ignored him. Derek decided to join in and play the same melody, but two octaves lower. Whenever she played, he played it back as well. Soon they were playing a synchronized melody together until Heather's arm detached from her and began to play the piano on its own. "Sorry for my enthusiasm," she said with a faint smile. "It's okay, I like your enthusiasm," Derek smiled back as he help attach her arm back. For a moment, the storm between them was calm until they heard someone shout out, " Newcomer!"

The room quickly became lively with corpses as they gathered around the new arrival. Derek and Heather got up to see who it was and became shocked as they saw a familiar head of dreadlocks. "Adel?"

"Dr. Stiles, Nurse Ross! It's such a surprise," Adel Tulba said cheerfully in his thick accent.

"Adel, what happened to you?" Derek asked.

"I arrived here in town today for a conference and just as I was going back to my hotel, I got ran over," Adel said. "It's all good though. I don't feel anymore pain. Oh yeah, Dr. Stiles, I 've heard that Nurse Thompson's getting married."

"Married? To who?" Derek asked.

"Some doctor named Leonardo Bello. The wedding's tomorrow." Derek felt his heart sink. How could Angie marry someone else to quick? Didn't she love him? Derek walked out with depressed look on his face as Heather called for him to come back.

The next day on the living side, Angie was sadly getting ready for her unwanted wedding with Leslie helping her. "I'm so sorry for everything, Angie. But please, cheer up. Maybe something good will happen." Angie simply looked at her teal-haired friend with no emotion and stayed in that mood all throughout the day, through the wedding ceremony, and up to the dinner celebration taking place in a hotel ballroom.

Meanwhile, Heather was in the land of the dead's very own kitchen seeking advice from the dead chef, Alma Parker. "Really my dear, don't fret. I'm sure he just needs some time to think and then he'll come back," Alma reassured.

"I hope so," Heather replied softly as Richard Anderson walked inside with a huge book. "Miss Ross, I need to tell you something very important," Richard said. "I'm afraid to say your marriage isn't valid since it's till death do us part and unfortunately, you are already parted."

Heather gasped. "If Dr. Stiles hears, he'll want to leave." What Heather didn't know was that Derek was outside listening the entire time. "Isn't there something we can do?"

"He must go to the land of the living and drink from the wine of ages," Richard said. "Only then can you be together."

"Make him drink poison?" Heather gasped. "I..I..I can't make him do that. I will not force him."

"You don't have to," Derek said as he walked inside. "I'll do it."

Dr. Stiles, once you do this, you can never go back to the land of the living," Richard warned softly. Derek grabbed Heather's hand in his and said," I'm sure." Soon after both Derek and Heather were in the center of the dead community as everyone gathered around. "Okay everyone, we're going to have an official wedding and we're going to do it right, "Derek announced. "And it will be in the land of the living so take what you can and let's go." There were some excited whispers and gasps as everyone enthusiastically prepared things such as a cake, decorations, and a special boquet of dead flowers for Heather and soon enough, departed.

Meanwhile, in Angie and Leonardo's wedding dinner, which consisted of all the Caduceus staff and Angie's family was quiet like a funeral. Leonardo stood up and raised his glass. "Quiet down everyone, I have something to say. I'd like to propose a toast to my new bride and soon enough, my new assistant, with the permission of Chief Kasal. I'd also like to say-," he continued as he was interrupted by a sudden green light and immediately surrounded by dead, yet alive corpses. "Excuse me, but you need to hurry up," said Albert Sartre to Leonardo. One of Angie's relative let out a shriek as the ballroom soon erupted with chaos and more corpses arriving out from the fireplace. People ran out of the hotel and into the street in fear as someone shouted, "The dead walk the earth!"

One group, consisting of Tyler Chase, Amy Chase, Leslie Sears, and Victor Niguel, were backed against a building outside as one very decayed corpse was slowly approaching them. Amy walked away from the group and headed toward the corpse while everyone called her back. As Amy took a good look at the figure, she said, "Mommy?" The corpse smiled as it picked Amy up and hugged her, bringing relief to the group. Little by little the wedding guests began to fear less of the corpses and became reacquainted with dead loved ones, even Sidney Kasal was with his dead wife, Rebecca Kasal.

Later on, the people from the land of the dead soon arrived at the church as the priest was shouting, "Go back to the place you came from, you demons!" Everyone simply ignored him and entered while only Rosalia said to him, "Shh, we have to be quiet in church, mister."

At that time, after everyone ran out, Angie and Leonardo were the only ones left in the ballroom. "Ok, I say we take all the money we can and run," Leonardo said quickly.

"Money? What money?" Angie asked.

"Your inheritance!" Leonardo barked as he shook Angie. "It's my right to have it as your husband!" Angie smirked at him. "Oh that? I don't get that until my parents die so you're out of luck!" she declared. "Looks like we both didn't get what we wanted from this marriage after all, huh?" Angie shook herself free from Leonardo's grasp and walked away while he glared at her. "No one makes a fool out of me without suffering the consequences."

Meanwhile at the church, everyone was sitting in the church pew with Derek and Richard at the altar. Everyone watched as Heather arrived smiling with her bouquet in hand and soon made it to the altar. "Dearly beloved and departed, we are gathered here today to eternally unite these two in holy matrimony. Now for the couple to say their vows." Angie arrived at the church, but remained hidden behind a pillar near the altar as she watched.

"With this hand, I will lift your sorrows," Derek said as he picked up the goblet from the altar and Heather picked up the bottle of poison and filled his goblet. As she was about to say her part of the vow, she looked up and saw Angie watching from behind the pillar. "Your cup…your cup..will never empty, for I will…," Heather trailed off as she kept looking at Angie.

"For I will be your wine," Derek continued as he lifted the goblet to drink it, but was stopped in time by Heather. "Dr. Stiles, no…Derek. I can't make you do this."

"Why not?" Derek asked.

"I was a nurse and a bride. My dreams were taken from me. But now..I've stolen them from someone else. I really do love you, Derek, but you are not mine," Heather said softly as she extended her hand out to Angie, who came out of her hiding place and took Heather's hand, who put it in Derek's.

"Oh, how touching, I always cry at weddings," said the voice of Leonardo as he walked in. "Our two lovers together at last. Surely now they can live happily ever after? But you forget," he says as he snatches Angie, "she's my wife and assistant and I'm leaving here empty handed!"

Heather stepped forward as she looked at Leonardo in shock. "You!" Leonardo looked up as his green eyes widen in shock. "Heather?" he gasped.

"You!" Heather declared. "But-but I left you!" Leonardo stuttered. "For dead!" Heather whispered out angrily. Leonardo became a bit worried as the dead started to surround him to jump him, but before they could, he took out a scalpel from his pocket and held it to Angie's throat. "Now, we wouldn't want to do anything hasty, now would we?"

"Let her go!" Derek yelled out as he walked forward to try and snatch Angie back only to have his hand almost stabbed. "You have been such a nuisance from the beginning! Why don't you die?" Leonardo shouted.

"Derek, catch!" Alma yelled out as he tossed him a fork. "Sorry!"

"Enough talk! Time to die!" Leonardo shouted as he let go of Angie and charged with the scalpel at Derek. All Derek could do was dodge him in the meantime until it got to the point where he had his fork knocked out of his hands. As Leonardo raised the scalpel that aimed for Derek's heat, Derek closed his eyes and awaited for the end, but opened them when he heard gasps all throughout the room. What he saw was Leonardo shocked as the scalpel stuck out from Heather's chest, who became Derek's shield. Heather unlodged the scalpel as she held the blade at Leonardo's neck. "Get out" she said in an angry and firm voice.

Leonardo laughed sinisterly at Heather's simple threat as he walked to the altar. "Oh I'm leaving, but first a toast!" he said as he picked up the goblet from the altar. "To Heather, forever the patient and bridesmaid, never the nurse nor the bride. Tell me, can a heart still break once it stops beating?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Heather mumbled as Leonardo finished the goblet and proceeded to leave, but stopped and began choking on his own breath. "What is….happening?" he gasped out as he soon turned dead blue.

"Everyone after him!" Abigail yelled as the corpses charged at Leonardo and took him into a doorway on the sides of the alter. "We got a newcomer," Alma said as she closed the door, silencing Leonardo's screams.

Heather let out a sigh as she walked away from the altar, but before she could advance, Derek stopped her. "Heather, wait. I made a promise."

Heather smiled softly as she turned around "You kept your promise. You set me free and now I can do the same for you," she said as she slipped off the ring on her hand and gave it back to Derek. "May your marriage with Angie be a happy and fruitful one. I wish you nothing but the best."

As Derek and Angie stood by each other and watched, Heather walked out all the way to the church entrance as little by little her body was transformed into several white butterflies and soon fluttered away up into the night sky, peace in her still heart and eternal rest.


End file.
